Week 4: Insights into our Faith & the role of religions
Recall:Last week we reconstructed power (power with, power with-in, power over), looked briefly at internalized and systemic powerlessness we often experience. We discussed confronting the powerlessness caused by our society by awakening to hope through beauty, awe, delight and love and looked briefly at the importance increasing our awareness and expanding our sense of self plays in that awakening.
Gathering: Share something from last week that was on your mind this past week or the name of your favorite saint.
Reflections/Thoughts: -Nature brings healing. We must learn to go back to nature in new ways with open eyes. -How do I act in ways that promote economic equity in an inherently inequitable power-over financial system? -Traditionally relationships between Canada and our many indigenous nations have had a strong power-over dynamic. Now as the many nations of this land have increasing communication capabilities we have the opportunity to work together to create a relationship of power-with. -Our faith has value in that it helps us see "the sacred in the ordinary" -What we are doing is for all of us. Hope is found in the fact that existence can be fundamentally defined by and within the idea of relationships with others and everything -As long as we are open to living differently there is hope. -Asking people to commit to less profit to keep the earth liveable is difficult in a system where worth is wrapped in the idea of increasing value. -We must learn to recognize our addiction to oil, to detached consumerism, and work towards liberation.
Introduce Questions and Epiphanies Model (pass out flash cards, Use one side to record questions and the other to record insights on what you believe or how it effects your life and the role religions and faith plays in your actions)
Some Questions the text explores/Some Epiphanies Presented:
Q 1: When confronting liberation and transformation why consider faiths? What are their roles?
pg 336 “Religion is meant...to be a way to ‘re-link’ (re-ligar) us to the Source, to help us harmonize our lives with the Tao...Religions must serve to safeguard the sacred memory of the experience of the Mystery of God.”-education to increase awareness
Pg 338 “85 percent of humanity participates in one of the ten thousand or so different religious traditions on our planet. Two-thirds...follow...Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The potential power of religions to motivate humanity to a new awakening to our current crisis that will lead to effective, transformative action...can hardly be overestimated...””
pg 342 “[we] must look again into our own spiritual tradition and seek out the insights that move us to reverence for all life, to an ethic of sharing and care, and to a vision of the sacred incarnate in the cosmos...to unleash a spiritual revolution that can truly heal the earth. If we can do so, we can draw on a deep and enduring wellspring of inspiration that can serve to unleash a spiritual revolution that can truly heal the Earth...and ...enrich...life” ex. Palm Tree in desert/aquifer of values example (Global Problems Article)
Examining Christianity Q 2: What is it to be human?
Pg 318 “khabash, normally translated as subdue can also be understood as “the ability of human consciousness to move with a greater amount of free will” ‘Radah’ -> “have dominion” hints towards an idea of “radiate diversity and differentiation, a power that spreads out, unfolds”...”the text implies a “strong sense of the responsibility that comes from participation in God’s creative action.”
Pg 319 "the word used for 'human', adam, is intertwined within adamah...the word used for earth... Somehow God breathes...the letter "Hey", 'the breath of life' from the living earth, into the Earthling...the letter vanishes because it goes within: nostrils, lungs, blood, every inch of the body...the breath becomes immanent and therefore invisible" Pg 319 “humanity is seen in Genesis as an expression of Earth...We are Earth in which breath has become immanent. We are the Earth made conscious in a new way...not over and above, but rather a part of the Earth” Pg 333 “We are not just on the Earth. We are the Earth itself that in this phase of its evolution has begun to feel, think, love, reverence, and care” human -> humus -> “fertile earth”, adam -> adamah -> “soil”
Pg 311 “we have lost the vision of the sacred unity for the living human being as a dynamic, interconnected, and interwoven coexistence of matter, energy and spirit...spirituality...not just a way of living certain moments but rather a way of being a person”
pg312“three fundamental dimensions within the coherent oneness of the human being”: exteriority ->all the varied collection of relationships that encompasses and sustains us interiority -> the universe of the psyche(subconscious will), inhabited by impulses, desires, passions, etc.) depth-> capacity to go beyond what we see, hear, think and love; spirit -> “as the moment of consciousness through which we experience the significance or value of things”
Q 3:What is the world realized that we long for, the kingdom of God?
pg 331“kingdom” -> Aramaic -> “malkuta – is much more similar to the concept of the Tao or to the Buddhist Dharma than to any kind of ‘kingdom’ we might imagine...” malkuta -> malkatuah “great Mother(Earth)”
pg 331 “Malkuta points to the governing principles that guide the evolutionary process of the cosmos itself...a process leading the cosmos toward every greater communion, differentiation, and interiority... the word’s roots elicit the image of a ‘fruitful arm’ poised to create” heaven -> “the realm of that which exists in potentiality, the sphere of vision and possibilities” “your kingdom come” -> ”we are seeking to put our own personal and community aspirations in harmony with ...the divine”
Q 4: What type of person is ‘on the right track’?
Pg 335 St. Francis “He...befriends all beings,... lives lovingly with them and protects them from threats... He knew how to find God in all things.” “He shows us that we are not condemned to being the persistent aggressors of nature. Instead, we can choose to be guardian angels who protect, care for, and transform the Earth into a common home for all, the entire earthly and cosmic community”
pg 333 "Through love, we deepen this inherent identification with the Earth. We embrace the world...and all things –and in so doing we embrace God, entering into communion with the Spirit as it acts in natural and historical processes; we embrace... the cosmic Christ, who is propelling evolution toward its culmination in the Malkuta”
Encouraged Questions and Thoughts:
-Do I spend time relating to the earth on a weekly basis? Why? Why not? Do I identify as an evolving part of the earth? "God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on trees, flowers, clouds, and stars" -Martin Luther
-Do I have a sustaining aquifer of values that guides and sustains my every day decisions to live differently than the 'dominant' culture? What key values or practices does my faith give that maintain this aquifer?
-In what sense am I a "Shambhala warrior"? Do I act based on the beliefs I hold? When and how do I decide to compromise in my daily life and for what reasons?
Global Problems: The Lost Dimension by Bob Goudzwaard & Mark Vander Vennen "the interdependence between global problems is intensifying, but also that their interdependence creates extraordinarily high degrees of uncertainty about what the best solutions might be...the era of standard solutions is coming to an end...The deeper roots of our present predicament need to be laid bare...It may require challenging even our basic assumptions, views, and convictions. But we believe that this is not a path without hope. Descending to deeper layers underneath today’s grave predicament may even reveal almost forgotten, long-neglected spiritual resources."
Prayer (lines 1,2,8 of the Aramaic version of the Lords Prayer)
Abwoon d'bwashmaya O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos you create all that moves in light.
Nethqadash shmakh Focus your light within us--make it useful: as the rays of a beacon show the way.
Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l'ahlam almin. From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do, the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews. Ameyn.
Recall: Last week we reconstructed power (power with, power with-in, power over), looked briefly at internalized and systemic powerlessness we often experience. We discussed confronting the powerlessness caused by our society by awakening to hope through beauty, awe, delight and love and looked briefly at the importance increasing our awareness and expanding our sense of self plays in that awakening.
Gathering: Share something from last week that was on your mind this past week or the name of your favorite saint.
Reflections/Thoughts:
-Nature brings healing. We must learn to go back to nature in new ways with open eyes.
-How do I act in ways that promote economic equity in an inherently inequitable power-over financial system?
-Traditionally relationships between Canada and our many indigenous nations have had a strong power-over dynamic. Now as the many nations of this land have increasing communication capabilities we have the opportunity to work together to create a relationship of power-with.
-Our faith has value in that it helps us see "the sacred in the ordinary"
-What we are doing is for all of us. Hope is found in the fact that existence can be fundamentally defined by and within the idea of relationships with others and everything
-As long as we are open to living differently there is hope.
-Asking people to commit to less profit to keep the earth liveable is difficult in a system where worth is wrapped in the idea of increasing value.
-We must learn to recognize our addiction to oil, to detached consumerism, and work towards liberation.
Introduce Questions and Epiphanies Model (pass out flash cards, Use one side to record questions and the other to record insights on what you believe or how it effects your life and the role religions and faith plays in your actions)
Some Questions the text explores/Some Epiphanies Presented:
Q 1: When confronting liberation and transformation why consider faiths? What are their roles?
pg 336 “Religion is meant...to be a way to ‘re-link’ (re-ligar) us to the Source, to help us harmonize our lives with the Tao...Religions must serve to safeguard the sacred memory of the experience of the Mystery of God.”-education to increase awareness
Pg 338 “85 percent of humanity participates in one of the ten thousand or so different religious traditions on our planet. Two-thirds...follow...Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism. The potential power of religions to motivate humanity to a new awakening to our current crisis that will lead to effective, transformative action...can hardly be overestimated...””
pg 342 “[we] must look again into our own spiritual tradition and seek out the insights that move us to reverence for all life, to an ethic of sharing and care, and to a vision of the sacred incarnate in the cosmos...to unleash a spiritual revolution that can truly heal the earth. If we can do so, we can draw on a deep and enduring wellspring of inspiration that can serve to unleash a spiritual revolution that can truly heal the Earth...and ...enrich...life” ex. Palm Tree in desert/aquifer of values example (Global Problems Article)
Examining Christianity
Q 2: What is it to be human?
Pg 318 “khabash, normally translated as subdue can also be understood as “the ability of human consciousness to move with a greater amount of free will”
‘Radah’ -> “have dominion” hints towards an idea of “radiate diversity and differentiation, a power that spreads out, unfolds”...”the text implies a “strong sense of the responsibility that comes from participation in God’s creative action.”
Pg 319 "the word used for 'human', adam, is intertwined within adamah...the word used for earth... Somehow God breathes...the letter "Hey", 'the breath of life' from the living earth, into the Earthling...the letter vanishes because it goes within: nostrils, lungs, blood, every inch of the body...the breath becomes immanent and therefore invisible"
Pg 319 “humanity is seen in Genesis as an expression of Earth...We are Earth in which breath has become immanent. We are the Earth made conscious in a new way...not over and above, but rather a part of the Earth”
Pg 333 “We are not just on the Earth. We are the Earth itself that in this phase of its evolution has begun to feel, think, love, reverence, and care” human -> humus -> “fertile earth”, adam -> adamah -> “soil”
Pg 311 “we have lost the vision of the sacred unity for the living human being as a dynamic, interconnected, and interwoven coexistence of matter, energy and spirit...spirituality...not just a way of living certain moments but rather a way of being a person”
pg312“three fundamental dimensions within the coherent oneness of the human being”:
exteriority ->all the varied collection of relationships that encompasses and sustains us
interiority -> the universe of the psyche(subconscious will), inhabited by impulses, desires, passions, etc.)
depth-> capacity to go beyond what we see, hear, think and love; spirit -> “as the moment of consciousness through which we experience the significance or value of things”
Q 3:What is the world realized that we long for, the kingdom of God?
pg 331“kingdom” -> Aramaic -> “malkuta – is much more similar to the concept of the Tao or to the Buddhist Dharma than to any kind of ‘kingdom’ we might imagine...” malkuta -> malkatuah “great Mother(Earth)”
pg 331 “Malkuta points to the governing principles that guide the evolutionary process of the cosmos itself...a process leading the cosmos toward every greater communion, differentiation, and interiority... the word’s roots elicit the image of a ‘fruitful arm’ poised to create”
heaven -> “the realm of that which exists in potentiality, the sphere of vision and possibilities”
“your kingdom come” -> ”we are seeking to put our own personal and community aspirations in harmony with ...the divine”
Q 4: What type of person is ‘on the right track’?
Pg 335 St. Francis “He...befriends all beings,... lives lovingly with them and protects them from threats... He knew how to find God in all things.” “He shows us that we are not condemned to being the persistent aggressors of nature. Instead, we can choose to be guardian angels who protect, care for, and transform the Earth into a common home for all, the entire earthly and cosmic community”
pg 333 "Through love, we deepen this inherent identification with the Earth. We embrace the world...and all things –and in so doing we embrace God, entering into communion with the Spirit as it acts in natural and historical processes; we embrace... the cosmic Christ, who is propelling evolution toward its culmination in the Malkuta”
Encouraged Questions and Thoughts:
-Do I spend time relating to the earth on a weekly basis? Why? Why not? Do I identify as an evolving part of the earth? "God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on trees, flowers, clouds, and stars" -Martin Luther
-Do I have a sustaining aquifer of values that guides and sustains my every day decisions to live differently than the 'dominant' culture? What key values or practices does my faith give that maintain this aquifer?
-In what sense am I a "Shambhala warrior"? Do I act based on the beliefs I hold? When and how do I decide to compromise in my daily life and for what reasons?
Additional Resources:
Aramaic Lords Prayer Video
Learning the Aramaic Lords Prayer
Dance of Universal Peace
Blessings of the Cosmos
Greening Sacred Spaces -Shows how places of faith can be made more 'green'
AGAPE: Alternative Globalization Addressing Peoples and Earth, Document on how to live AGAPE based on Christian Faith, Produced by World Council of Churches
Global Problems: The Lost Dimension by Bob Goudzwaard & Mark Vander Vennen
"the interdependence between global problems is intensifying, but also that their interdependence creates extraordinarily high degrees of uncertainty about what the best solutions might be...the era of standard solutions is coming to an end...The deeper roots of our present predicament need to be laid bare...It may require challenging even our basic assumptions, views, and convictions. But we believe that this is not a path without hope. Descending to deeper layers underneath today’s grave predicament may even reveal almost forgotten, long-neglected spiritual resources."
Prayer (lines 1,2,8 of the Aramaic version of the Lords Prayer)
Abwoon d'bwashmaya
O Birther! Father-Mother of the Cosmos
you create all that moves in light.
Nethqadash shmakh
Focus your light within us--make it useful: as the rays of a beacon show the way.
Metol dilakhie malkutha wahayla wateshbukhta l'ahlam almin.
From you is born all ruling will, the power and the life to do,
the song that beautifies all, from age to age it renews.
Ameyn.